Thill-coupling.



No. 811.464. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. 1?. A. WBGNER.

THILL GOUPLING.

"wir N JF in s fr `rafrnfr rricia Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1906.

Application iiled April 13, 1901. Renewed December 18, 1905. Serial No. 292,155.

lin thill-couplings, and more particularlyto that type of coupling known as the antirattlers; and it is embodied in the construction and arrangement of parts presently to be described, and defined in the claims.

While the invention is designed as an improvement in antirattler thill-couplings, the same embodies certain features and improvements which may be used with success in connection with thill-couplings other than the antirattler type.

`I-Ieretofore many efforts have been made to secure a successful, simple, and satisfactory coupling for thills; but in many cases the locking and antirattl-er devices have been made as fixed parts of either the thill iron or clip. Again, in many of the so-called thillcouplings7 the constructions are complicated, susceptible of disarrangement, andrequire special constructions of thill-irons or clip-eyes to adapt them for use.

The objects of my invention are to overcome the objections heretofore existing by the provision of a thill-coupling which is applicable to the well-known or usual type of thill connections, to provide a device which will act successfully to prevent the uncoupling of the thills, to provide a device which will serve efficiently as an antirattler, and to generally so construct and arrange the various parts of the coupling that 1t can be readily manufactured, quickly applied, and will serve well its purpose without becoming disarranged, worn, or broken. With this end in view I have shown in the accompanying drawings a construction of antirattlercoupler which has been found eminently satisfactory. The construction, however, while in principle illustrates fully the invention, yet many changes, variations, and rearrangements of parts can be made without departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing parts in elevation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the coupler uncoupled, showing the same slightly elevated to disclose the pintle. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the coupler detached.

In the drawings, A represents the usual clip, having the ears B projecting therefrom, formed with the usual eyes at their outer ends, and C represents the thill-iron having the eye c at its end, tlnough which the headless pintle C passes, the same passing through the eyes on the ears.

D designates the coupler-frame, consisting conveniently of a body or shank portion d, fashioned to fit between the ears B and rest against the clip between the ears. This shank is of a length sufficient to permit its vertical movement up and down in the space between the eye of thill-iron and the clip for purposes presently to be stated. Extending outwardly in a horizontal plane from the upper end of the part d are the extensions d,

carrying at their outer ends forwardly-projecting fingers or retaining members D. These fingers are arranged at right angles to the extensions and are so placed as to closely embrace the outer faces of the eye portions of the ears B and when properly positioned serve to lock the pintle against longitudinal movement.

Extending from the shank portion d at the lower end and from opposite sides are the downwardly and forwardly extending arms d2, the same diverging slightly and having perforations in their extremities, as at d3. The position of thc ends of the arms d2 is substantially in the plane and directly below the Ylingers D.

E represents a frame having cross-bars e e', and at the ends of the former pivot lugs c2, which pass through and are held in the perforations in the arms. On the cross-bar c is pivotally supported an antirattler-spring F. This is conveniently of substantially U shape, having an eye formed at one end embracing the cross-bar and having its opposite end curved to conform substantially to the curvature of the eye of the thill-iron. In practice I have found it desirable to secure to the curved ends of the spring a pad f, conveniently of leather or other suitable material. Springing from the side bar of the frame E is a lever-arm G, the same extending transversely outward a short distance and provided at its end with a suitable thumb-piece g.

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In practice it is often found desirable to adjust the coupling-frame E to increase or decrease the spring-pressure or to properly position the pintle-retaining fingers. This adjustment may be accomplished in many ways, a convenient manner being that shown in the drawings, wherein is represented at H and H two removable blocks resting on the upper edges of the ears and held in position by the same and the upper structural portion of the coupler. These movable adjusting devices may be made of metal or wood or other suitable material and of any desired configuration to fit and be held in their proper position.

In applying the coupler the thill-iron is first removed, the coupler is placed with the shank portion between the ears, and owing to the length of the former the same may be ele vated in the space between the ears, permitting the insertion of the pintle for locking the thill-iron in place. The coupler is then allowed to move downward until it rests on top of the ears or adjusting devices thereon, which movement carries the retaining-fingers in their proper position and secures the pintle in place. By forming the arms on the coupler in a manner above described the same serves to prevent the accidental removal of the cou ler, limiting its upward movement. It wil therefore be seen that the weight alone of the coupler will be sufficient to retain it in its proper position and prevent the disengagement of the pintle. When the coupler is in its lowered position, the spring is moved upward until it rests against the under side of the eye of the thilliron and while in that position the lever on the frame which carries the spring is forced backward, carrying the op osite lends of the spring toward the clip an beyond the pivotal center, so that the tension of the spring tends to force the frame toward the clip and in so doing forces the curved padded end of the spring closely against the eye of the thilliron and also forcibly holds the coupler against vibration.

It will be seen that by the above construction it is only necessary to change the usual headed bolt to a headless bolt for the pintle, and the coupler can be applied to the wellknown construction of thill-coupling. It is to be understood that a reversal of the parts with the necessary chan es incident thereto comes within the spirit of my invention.

I wish to call particular attention to the fact that by locating the coupler when in its operative position in the space between the thill-iron and the clip and its ears I provide a construction wherein if the spring or the pivoted frame should become broken or if the pivoted frame should become accidentally unlocked the coupler always remains in position to hold the pintle in place, and thus prevent the accidental uncoupling of the thill from the clip. This is not true of a device where the coupler surrounds or is outside of the clip-ears.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupler, the combination with a clip, ears projecting therefrom, and a thilliron, of a coupling member consisting of a shank portion located in and extending through the space between the said clip, ears, and a thill-iron, projecting portions extending from the upper end of said shank adapted to bear upon the upper side of the thill-iron, a member pivoted to the lower end of said shank portion, and a resilient member adapted to be compressed between said pivoted member and the thill-iron, substantially as set forth.

' 2. In a thill-coupler, the combination with a clip, its ears and a thill-iron, of a coupling member fashioned to move between the ears' in the space between the'thill-iron and clip, and having intle-retaining projections, means for loc ing the coupler in position comprising a pivoted member, and a spring adapted to be compressed by said pivotal member between the same and the thill-iron,

substantially as described.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination with a clip having retaining-ears and a thilliron, of a coupler comprising a frame having a portion fitted between the thill-iron and the clip and extending above the same, pintle-retaining fingers extending from the frame, and means for locking the frame against movement comprising a yielding member and a locking member pivoted to said portion of the coupler which is fitted between the clip and the thill-iron, said locking member arranged to be thrown backward beyond its pivotal center and against the tension of the yielding member, substantially as described.

4. In a thill-coupler, a coupling-frame comprising a shank member fashioned to fit in the space between the thill-iron and the clip, retaining ngers projecting out from the shank, arms on the opposite end of the shank, a pivoted frame carried by the arms and a curved spring carried by the frame, adapted to be pressed against the under surface of the thill-iron in its adjusted position, substantially as described.

5. In a thill-coupler, a coupling-frame comprising a shank member, fashioned to t in between the space between the thill-iron and the clip, retaining-fingers projecting outward from the upper end of the shank on opposite sides, outwardly-diverging arms at the lower end of the shank, a pivoted frame carried by the arms, a curved spring pivotally supported on the frame, and adapted to be pressed thereby against the thill-iron, and a lever on the frame for adjusting the parts, to

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eiiAefi their operative positions, substantially as described.

6. In a thill-coupler, the combination with a clip, its ears and a thill-iron, of a coupling member fashioned to move between the ears back of the thill-iron and provided with pintle-retaining projections, means for locking the coupler in position comprising a pivoted member and a yielding member, and means associated with the upper part of the coupling member for adjusting the same in its re lation to the ears and pressing the yielding member against the thill-iron, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a thill-coupler, comprising the axle-clip, its ears and the thill-iron, of a coupler located in and extending through the space between the said parts, said coupler provided at its upper end with means adapted to bear on the upper side of the thill-iron and provided at its lower end with a pivoted member adapted to be thrown backwardly beyond its pivotal center to lock the coupler in place, substantially as described.

8. As an article Of manufacture, a thillcoupling comprising7 a shank portion adapted to be located in and extend through the space between the clip and the thill-iron, projections extending from one end of said shank portion, a member pivoted to the other end of said shank portion, and adapted to be swung backwardly between its pivot and said projections, and a resilientmember eccentrically secured to said pivoted member, substantially as described.

9. In a thill-coupler, the combination with a clip, its ears and a thill-iron, of a coupling member fashioned to move between the ears back of the thilliron, extensions secured to the upper portion ol said coupling and overlying the ears of the clip, a pair of ears secured to the lower portion of said coupling member and underlying the ears of the clip, pintle retaining members projecting outwardly from the outer ends of the extensions on the upper portion oi' the coupling member, and means for locking the coupling member against movement comprising a lever pivoted between the ears secured to the lower portion oi the coupling member and a spring adapted to be compressed by said lever between the same and the thill-iron.

In testimony whereof I a'HiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. WEGNER.

Witnesses L. S. BACON, GEORGE M. BOND. 

